Fayetteville, NC vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fayetteville, NC and Raleigh, NC spend within 1.0% of each other per resident — $14,049 versus $13,911 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Raleigh, NC edges Fayetteville, NC on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 76/100 (grade B) to 70/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $1,749 for Fayetteville, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Fayetteville, NC at $1,062 per resident and in Raleigh, NC at $1,391.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Fayetteville, NC at 9% of total revenue, whereas Raleigh, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 47%.
Summary
Fayetteville spends 1.0% more per capita than Raleigh ($139/person difference). Raleigh, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 76/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $124 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $717 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,555 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,488 | $2,681 |
| Other | $3,474 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $196 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $448 |
| Education | $0 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $378 | $498 |
| Hospitals | $319 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,062 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $2,914 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $281 |
| Utilities | $3,100 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $628 | $1,513 |
| Other | $5,454 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.